Barbados

Well the title is a bit deceptive as I didn’t actually do any travelling in the city, rather, I flew to a small island called Barbados for 12 days and fell in love.

Barbados you had me at hello!

Touching down in the Caribbean, I was hit by a sweltering heat that I’ve never felt before and I knew I was home (excuse the dramatics but this was the best holiday ever!)

What is it about holidays that makes one lose their inhibitions and act so reckless? Going on holiday offers us the chance to reinvent our character by allowing us to lie to ourselves with the declarative ” what happens in (enter destination here) stays in (enter destination)”. This simple statement frees even the most timid and before you know it, you are face down, ass up and twerking on a random stranger without a care in the world.

I drank rum and redbull from dusk to dawn, and partied my stress and cobwebs away (my liver detests me). I’m not sure how you Bajans do it. Mount Gay Rum is lethal!

Bajans, are super friendly, with their sing-song accent putting you at ease and making you trust them instantly. Life in Barbados moves at a much slower pace. People are not rushing everywhere and forgetting to actually have a life. They take time to appreciate the beauty in their surroundings, I mean how could you not? when you are surrounded by fresh air and gorgeous beaches. I’m not saying that people over there don’t lead tough lives, far from it, however, their demeanour and spirit never seems broken. They pick themselves up and keep it moving.

The energy and vibrancy of the Bajan culture shines through wherever you go, from the music telling you to ‘put your hands up and roll that body’ , to the trips down to Oistins on Friday nights to partake in the biggest fish fry party and to the bright Purple & Yellow sign of Chefette’s, beckoning you to come over and sample some Roti, which I dutifully indulged – plenty of times. I stan for Rotis – so damn good.

The island can at times be stifling as it is overrun with tourists. We are everywhere! This can at best take away from the authenticity of the place, especially when you just want to ‘go down’ with the locals.

Nevertheless, I would most definitely go again.I met some wonderful people, partook in dubious activities, drank copious amount of alcohol, partied on board the Jolly Roger and went swimming with the fishes (no Godfather).